THE CAUSES FOR THE RENEWAL OF WAR WITH FRANCE.
The causes of the renewal of hostilities between France and England were manifold. Some of the remote causes have before been noticed; and it has been remarked in a previous page, that while the first consul required England to fulfil every stipulation in the treaty of Amiens, he denied our right of interference in his own political arrangements. This naturally gave rise to disputes between the two governments; disputes which soon became warm and acrimonious, and which finally ended in an open rupture. The first remonstrance of the British cabinet against the unjustifiable encroachments of the first consul related to his conduct with reference to Switzerland. This remonstrance was vain; and expostulation, as regards usurpations in Holland and Italy, were equally fruitless. The British government also complained that numerous persons were sent to reside in our maritime towns on pretence of trade, but in reality to procure such intelligence as might be useful in the event of war; and that while this scheme was put in practice, restrictions on British commerce were enforced in France with extraordinary vigour. Moreover, the British cabinet complained of insults: such as, that Great Britain could not contend alone with France; an insult which should have been treated only with contempt. On the other hand, Napoleon complained of the freedom with which the British press handled his character, and of the protection given to discontented emigrants. But the chief object of his complaint was the retention of Malta. He remarked:—“My pretended encroachments are mere trifles; and even if they were highly important, you have no concern with them: but in refusing to surrender Malta, you are openly violating the treaty of Amiens, which I will not tamely suffer to be infringed.” Dissension increased. Napoleon demanded that the Bourbons and their partisans should be expelled from England, which met with a firm and generous denial. Thus baffled, the first consul directed his political agents to circulate outrageous libels against the highest characters in the kingdom; they plotted, he averred, conspiracies against his life. At length Napoleon demanded, why the British government had not evacuated Malta, according to stipulation? The reply was, “because he had increased his European territories and threatened Egypt.” To demand Malta of the first consul was in reality to declare war; he declared that harmony could not be restored, unless that island was restored to the knights, or put into the possession of some continental power; and that he would as soon see Paris in the hands of the English as Malta. The Russian emperor now offered his mediation, but as he proposed no scheme of accommodation, his offer was politely refused. Finally, Lord Whitworth suggested the following terms of an amicable arrangement:—If the cession of Lampedosa could be procured from the King of Naples, it should serve as a naval station for the English in lieu of Malta, which should then be left to the natives on the basis of independence. At the same time Holland was to be evacuated by the French troops, while Switzerland was to be freed from all encumbrance. His Britannic majesty promised to recognize the Spanish prince who had been made King of Etruria, as well as the Cisalpine and Ligurian republics; in return for which France was required to cede some valuable territory to the King of Sardinia. By a secret article, Malta was to remain ten years under British government before the exchange took place. On the acceptation or refusal of these terms, peace or war was to be determined. A week only was allowed for a reply; and at the lapse of that time, no reply being given—Napoleon wishing still to prolong the discussion—the British ambassador, in compliance with his instructions, declined all further négociations, and prepared to quit Paris, which he did on the 12th of May. Orders were immediately issued for seizing the ships of France, and of the states subject to her power, in British ports; and Napoleon detained all British subjects who remained in the French territories after Lord Whitworth, our ambassador, had taken his departure. Thus recommenced the struggle betwixt the two rival nations of England and France: a struggle which, for the inveteracy of its spirit and the variety of its fortunes, stands unrivalled in the history of the world. Vast were the treasures spent, and still more vast was the blood shed, before the sword thus drawn was again sheathed.
GEORGE III. 1801-1806
WAR WITH HOLLAND.
As the proposal that French troops should be withdrawn from Holland was refused, war was accordingly denounced against that unfortunate State. On the 17th of June, the king announced by message, that he had communicated to the Batavian republic his disposition to respect its neutrality, provided only the French government would respect it, and withdraw its forces from that country; but that, this proposition not having been acceded to by France, his majesty judged it necessary to recall his minister from the Hague, and to give order for the issuing of letters of marque and reprisals against the Batavian republic. Subsequently, the sum of £80,000, and a pension of £16,000 per annum was granted to the ex-stadtholder of Holland, our late ally, the Prince of Orange, who had by this event been despoiled, and left without a home, and without any reliance, except on the generosity of this country.
MILITIA BILL, ETC.
A bill for rendering the militia as effective as possible was passed on the 20th of May; but in consequence of a message from his majesty on the 18th of June, recommending more extensive measures, a proposition was carried for embodying a new species of Militia, to be denominated “the army of reserve.” This body was to consist of 50,000 men for England, and 10,000 for Ireland, and they were to be raised by ballot, but allowed to volunteer into the regular army. This bill, however, was only the precursor of one of greater magnitude—a bill which comprehended the arming and training of the whole effective male population, and which passed into a law on the 27th of July. This measure was proposed in case of an invasion; and as the opposite coasts of France and Belgium were lined with troops, and the French and Brussels papers were calculating how many days it would take Napoleon to reach London, it met with very general support. Fox himself offered his hearty concurrence to it, because it was for the defence of the country, rather than for any project of offensive war. It passed in the commons nem. con.; and the lords adopted it unanimously, one or two peers only censuring ministers, as Pitt had done in, the lower house, for not producing it sooner. This scheme, however, was not generally acceptable to the nation at large, nor was the danger so great as to justify its adoption. Nevertheless a large body of volunteers started up in every part of the realm, and a force of 400,000 men wore soon collected on the coasts to defend their beloved country. The whole population of England, under the impression that their altars and firesides were endangered by the menace of the first consul of France, rose